While working on our Taiwan itinerary, I realized there arenāt as many available travel tips and guides online about the country, as there are for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. So upon getting back from my trip, I figured I should let my experiences be learning grounds for your future travels here. And without further adieu, let me present to you Taiwan (or Taipei) in lists of tips, tricks, hits and misses.
Very cheap roundtrip flights from Manila to Taipeiā PHP 3,000 without check-in baggage and PHP 5,000 with 20kg of check-in baggage. Both include (strictly) 7kg carry-on allowance. Travel tax excluded.
AirAsia flights to Taiwan is only once a day apparently. Took the 11:15 PM flight out and the 1:45 AM flight back to Manila.
One of my fastest check-ins ever, especially during departure. Finished everything in 15-20 minutes! Way less people compared to Cebu Pacific which had super long lines heading to Taipei at the same time.
Flight was comfy, and the plane was nice and clean. Leg room, as you can expect, is quite limited, such that when Iād cross my legs, my knees would hit the next seat.
No blankets for lending!!! Youād have to purchase their AirAsia-branded blankets at PHP 500. Not cool! Or should I say, too cool because I was nearly freezing?!
For in-flight meals, you have to pre-book them if you donāt want to take chances. Pretty cheap, at around PHP 150-200 a meal.
Weather in August: H-O-T!!!!
August is Taiwanās hottest month. Clearly we didnāt research prior to booking! Can go as high as 38 degrees Celcius!
Recommendation: Donāt book in August so you can maximize your stay! We got tired too easily due to the debilitating heat.
Their currency is New Taiwanese Dollar.
Conversion from NTD to PHP is 1.7.
For money exchange, you have to do it at the airport upon arrival or at the banks. They donāt have FOREX stalls everywhere like in Hong Kong. So carefully plan your exchange in advance.
For pocket money, average spend a day (given our itinerary ā available upon request) would be at around PHP 3,000-4,000 excluding shopping.
Accommodation: Meander Hostel
Definitely a place Iād recommend if youāre traveling on a budget! Itās a hostel but with private rooms.
Got the Triple Room with 1 queen bed and 1 double bedācomfy. Spacious enough. Looks new and clean. Has minimalist design.
Had troubles with the air conditionerāwouldnāt get cold enough for a day or two!
Shower area is more than sufficient, and heater works great! I could take showers for hours. Jk.
Total cost for 4 nights was at PHP 17,000 but thanks to Agoda Rewards, we got it for PHP 15,000. Just PHP 5,000 per head! So affordable!
No windows in the room; could use better lighting = Not very ideal for girls who spend a long time putting on makeup!!!!
Has a common room at the G/F. Very cozy and you can mingle with fellow travellers. You can also bring food and eat there. Has free-flowing water and wintermelon tea. Also coffee, milk tea, bread and fruits in the AM for breakfast.
Not allowed to bring outside shoes in. They give you slippers to use. Not sure if thatās hygienic but I think they sanitize it after every use. The upside is that you donāt have to bring your own slippers anymore.
Location is a-ok! Just 10 minutes away from Ximending on foot. You just have to walk one straight line/street so you wonāt get lost. Also has nearby convenience stores.
From Taoyuan International Airport, we shared a cab going to our hostel since it was late already (2AM) and it was cost-effective given that we were 4 people.
Getting around is mostly thru their MRT which is super easy to understand. We didnāt have to buy stored value cards since buying single tickets was always a breeze. Never a line! MRT is also very clean and not so crowded.
Most frequented line is the blue lineāBannan. Thatās where Ximen is located right smack at the middle. This is why I recommend you choose a hotel in Ximen, since itās close to the many areas youāre likely to visit as a tourist.
Going back to airport, we asked help from our hostel and they booked us a 9-seater van for just NT 1700. Not bad! From Ximen to Taoyuan, we only took 40 minutes.
Advantages of Taiwan over Hong Kong
Much, much friendlier people.
Less fast-paced so you can travel more calmly.
Cleaner, especially the toilets!
For international clothing brands, they have H&M and Uniqlo in Ximending (more expensive though) and GU, Pull & Bear, ZARA, and Bershka in Taipei 101 area.
They also have the usual sports stores like adidas, Nike, New Balance, and Jordan Ā in Ximending, but I never entered. Hihi.
Speaking of Ximending, they say thatās Taipeiās counterpart of Myeongdong in Seoul. While I still managed to have fun (because I will always, always find a way to shop successfully), I recommend not expecting too much. I found that there arenāt as many interesting stores, and even their food offerings were underwhelming.
Highlight for me was the skincare variety. They have super cheap sheet masks, so better hoard! Go for 86 Shop and Paris Strawberry, as they have better pricing. More on this here.
For Taiwanese delicacies (pasalubong alert!), buy from the corner/semi-hidden stores that donāt look fancy. The well-lit and nicer-looking ones have higher prices. For instance, I got salty yolk cookies for just NT 120 a pack while at the better-looking stores, they were selling it to me for NT 180. Nonetheless, they all provide free tastes so you can make sure the goodies are yummy before you buy them!
Re: Supermarkets, Iām not sure if I was just blind but there werenāt so many. I only found Jasonās Marketplace in Taipei 101 and in Ximending (near Exit 1 of Ximen Station). My favorite purchases were the frozen fried riceāhuge variety (salmon, sausage, hawaiian, kimchi, smoked pork, etc.) and super cheap (NT 48ādefinitely more affordable than the Spam kimchi fried rice packs in Korea). Note: Put in carry-on because itās not allowed for check-in baggage.
Gudetama Cafe in Zhongxiao Dunhua is super cute! But, food could be better. I say donāt go there starving. Just get snacks or desserts there for Instagram purposes. Do note that you have to reserve in advance. I did thru eztable.com, and they require advanced consumable payment of NT 200 per head.
Yong Kang Street has a lot of restaurants and stalls you can try out: Scallion Pancakes (yum!), Smoothie House (line too long), etc. They also have the first ever Din Tai Fung there but waiting time is usually about 45 ā 75 minutes. Personally, I find that it tastes the same as those in HK and SG, and nothing more.
Mala Hotpot!!!! Best hotpot buffet ever!!!! Their beef cuts are so generous, premium and lean! Soup tastes heavenly! They also have unlimited Haagen-Dazs ice cream with about 12 flavors. Unlimited canned drinks, too, and free-flowing coffee and tea. YUM YUM YUM! Per head: NT 598 for lunch and NT 698 for dinner and weekends. Note: Must call ahead of time for reservation.
Chose Raohe Night Market over Shi Lin because they say itās less crowded there. Didnāt regret it. Place isnāt packed, and has good variety of food stalls. Do come with friends though so you can share food and try a lot of different things. My faves from there include the Walking Steak Cup and the big-ass chicken. Oh and the candied strawberry, too, for dessert!
7-Eleven is also close to my heart because they have this microwavable packed Spicy Chicken similar to KFCās Hotshots that taste so yummy! Also very cheap at NT 38 if I remember correctly.
Mos Burger (originally from Japan) is also
Milk tea!!! If youāre not watching your sugar and dairy intake closely, go all out!
Taipei 101Ā is a must-visit because itās a key attraction in Taipei. It also has many stores from fashion to food. The Observatory is another thing. You pay about PHP 800 and the lines are excruciatingly long (maybe because we went on a weekend) and the view is meh. The outdoor viewing was also closed when we visited so that added to our disappointment.
Visited Huashan 1914 Creative Park for the āHello My Name is Paul Smithā exhibit. I found that it was a breath of fresh air from the usual Taipei scene. Very artsy place! The exhibit was funky and colorful as expected. Youād leave the place with very nice pictures for sure. The entrance fee is not bad either at NT 280 for foreign visitors, and exhibit is set to run until September 3, 2017 only. [Note: Clearly, I published this too late.)
Joined KKdayās Day Tour from Taipei at USD 33 each, inclusive of bus transfers starting from Taipei Main Station but exclusive of entrance fees and food:
First stop: Yehliu Geopark for the rock formations. Very unique but also very hot. Remember to wear sunscreenāwe forgot!!! Good thing this was first in the agenda, otherwise weād have no energy to go around given the vast place and the hell-like heat!
Commercial: Be wary of the time. If tour guide says meeting time is at 11:00, she really means it. Otherwise, youād get left behind just like our friend. Hahaha! Itās funny now but it was stressful at the time it was happening.
Second stop: Shifen Old StreetĀ for the lantern flying and lunch! For the lanterns, you can buy based on what you wish for (i.e. Wealth, Marriage, Happiness, and the like) and they cost at NT 200 a piece. You also get to write and draw your wishes on it usng a chinese pen (mopit), and take photos/videos as you let it go up in the air. They do this along the railway. As for the food part, I say itās one of the best! We had Yakult slushie, barbecued chicken wing with rice inside, fried cuttlefish, and peanut ice cream roll. Gooda gooda in mah belly! ā¤
Third stop:Ā Shifen Waterfalls ā underwhelming to be honest! I donāt know, maybe we were exhausted at this point but walking all the way to the falls didnāt feel worth it. It was smaller in person than in the photos. š¦
Fourth stop: Jiufen. If youāre a fan of the movie Spirited Away, be sure to visit! But if not, I honestly didnāt find it that interesting. Itās just an old alley thatās uphillāso many steps. We kept grumpling because we were so tired and sweaty and I was having allergies from my sweat and sunburn from Yehliu. We wondered how come the oldies have more energy than us. Hahaha! Highlight: Cute cat shops. There are about three!
Things Iād Do If/When I Go Back
Elephant Mountain because a pretty Canadian girl we met at the hostel recommended it for its view ā you can see Taipei skyline including Taipei 101; I realize the skyline is only nice when the tower is in sight.
Cat Village because nobody wanted to go with me š¦
Mala Hotpot because itās the bestest!
Meander Hostel because I miss their sofa :))
National Palace MuseumĀ because the hostel people said it has interesting treasures from China. Hmmmmm.
IKEA because apparently Taiwan has one!
Ichiran because apparently they just opened there, and we were plain oblivious.
Ā Ā [Long Overdue Post] A Roundup of My Taipei Trip While working on our Taiwan itinerary, I realized there aren't as many available travel tips and guides online about the country, as there are for Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.
